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Most of our programs are FREE and open to the public.
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Recent happenings:

July 10, 2025 - Potluck & Social at Oxbow Park
A damp, gray day eventually turned into a wonderfully sunny evening as 14 people met up at Oxbow Park near Byron for our annual ZVAS Potluck and Social. While setting up the food table we were entertained by a pair of Barn Swallows bringing food to their nestlings under the shelter - we tried not to bother them too much. Then we all tucked in to a large assortment of tasty food, treats and conversation. Later most of the group took a short walk through the wood in a vain attempt to burn off some of the calories consumed - sure I'll have another cupcake!

During our meal and on the walk we spotted 27 species of birds including:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Red-tailed Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern House Wren, Gray Catbird, American Robin, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting

Thanks to everyone who came out! We enjoyed getting to know you better.

July5, 2025 - Bird Walk at Quarry Hill
It was a soggy morning for a bird walk at Quarry Hill this morning so our group of 6 stayed in the Bird Room where it was nice an dry. We later found out that 2 people braved the rain and took a short walk around the pond where they found a Kingfisher, an Indigo Bunting and lots of mosquitoes.

From the Bird Room we spotted several Northern Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Downy Woodpeckers, a White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finches, Goldfinches, a Robin, a Black-capped Chickadee and a couple House Sparrows. Most of the birds were looking wet and bedraggled and just wanted something to eat.

A little after 10 am the rain lightened up so we went outside and quickly found Cedar Waxwings, Brown-headed Cowbirds, a Barn Swallow and heard a Northern House Wren singing. So just 15 species in all - but we know there were many more out there - we were just too lazy to go find them this morning. Maybe we did too much celebrating on the 4th last night!

Thanks to Terry, Joyce and Dave for spotting birds. Photos by Sandy Hokanson.

June 15, 2025 - Damsels & Dragonflies at Chester Woods
After a cloudy, cool morning we were happy to have enough warmth and sunshine by early afternoon to get the dragonflies up and flying around (if it's cooler than 70 they tend not to fly). About 15 people came out to catch, hold and get closeup looks at our Damsels & Dragonflies event.

Joel's support team came early and netted several nymphs that we could watch swimming in a small aquarium - they look ferocious up close! One young participant even found an "exuvia", the discarded exoskeleton of a nymph from which an adult dragonfly emerges.

We found several species including Bluets, Eastern Forktails, Dot-Tailed Whiteface, Common Baskettails, 12-spotted Skimmers and more. As the summer progresses even more varieties of these beneficial insects will hatch and help us control the mosquito and gnat populations.

Many thanks to Joel Dunnette for leading this event and to volunteers Gary, Jay, Kirk & Ezra. Photos by Sandy Hokanson.

Previous events >

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